Quebec is a special place in Canada adored by some and misunderstood by others. It's as large as Germany, Spain, Italy and UK combined, and as French as... well, France. It's where the Canadian smokers live and - let's face it - the majority of drinkers too. It's a place close to home where you need to try just a little bit harder to get that coveted coffee at Starbucks. Just remember: it's "le lait", not "milk".

Quebec city and Montreal are the two major destinations in French Canada that are ideal for a quick trip or a long weekend getaway. In 3-4 days you can easily see most of the sites and get the "feel" for Quebec.

Quebec City Quebec prides itself for being the oldest settlement in Canada, it was also the capital of New France - territories of North America colonized by France.

Interesting facts to know about Quebec city: - Castle-like Château Frontenac is the most photographed hotel in the world (I surely helped to maintain this status) - The historic district of Quebec is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for being "one of the best examples of a fortified colonial city"- North America's narrowest house is located on rue Donnaconna in Quebec city, and is only 12 feet wide (can't believe I missed that one)

We got lucky to visit during the New France Festival (Les Fetes de la Nouvelle-France) when locals celebrate their French heritage by dressing in 17-18-century traditional clothes and getting outside to socialize and participate in parades, musical performances, workshops, and installations. In my previous post you can see more pictures from the streets.

Me being sieged by pirates

Later in the evening we went to a Cirque du Soleil show, which to me is the most Quebecan thing I can think of. Their new show is called Amaluna and I would definitely recommend seeing it if you have a chance.

Port of Quebec

I should say, Quebec city deserves at least a couple of nights, especially in summer when there are so many street festivals and other events that you can attend for free. But we had to continue our trip, so in the afternoon we took off for Montreal.

MontrealInteresting facts to know about Montreal:- Montreal is an island- After New York, it has the highest number of restaurants per capita in North America- Montreal's homeless people are agressive and can swear at you in two languages

You don't need a lot of time to see Old Montreal, the original part of the city dating back to New France. It is literary only three streets long. So as an activity for one of the nights we booked tickets to a light show at the famous Notre Dame Basilica. I had high expectations, but as it turned out, the description of the show was misleading. And unless you are into the history of religion served to you in a poorly produced video, I would not recommend wasting your time. However, the Basilica itself is gorgeous and is a must-see during your stay in Montreal. If you visit during a day, the tickets are $5.

The alter of Notre Dame Basilica

Montreal's botanical gardenis one of the best ones in Canada. It's enormous, but the most interesting sections are close to the entrance: Chinese, Japanese, and aboriginal. I personally couldn't get over the collection of bonsai trees. Many of them are between 60-200 years old, but the oldest one - Jack Pine - is 365 years old.

Meet Jack Pine, a 365 years old bonsai tree

The price of the ticket also includes the entrance to Insectarium- a relatively small two-storey building packed full with examples of insects from around the globe. Most of them are long dead, but there are a few live ones like a tarantula, a Walkingstick (that resembles a tree branch), or a Giant spiny stick-insect (it is an actual name). Allow at least four hours to fully enjoy the garden and the insectarium.

The Montreal tower is a leaning tower attached to the Olympic stadium - the main site of 1976 Summer Olympic games. From the observation deck at the top of the tower you can see several other Olympic sites and the view of Montreal of course.

Ride to the observation deck of the Montreal tower

And the view from the top

We couldn't make it to Mount Royal this time because of a bad thunderstorm but if you are ever wondering of how to spend an afternoon in Montreal, this would be a nice place to consider. This hill (some call it a mountain)right in the middle of the city gives a great viewpoint. Essentially, it's a large park with lots of trails and an observation platform closer to the top. The climb starts at the back of McGill University's campus. It's not very steep and many parts of the trail have stairs.

McGill University is right at the heart of the business district

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